Give the Republicans this: They're starting to realize that anti-Marriage Equality is bad politics

[scheming daemons]

First... guys like Ted Olson advocate for Marriage Equality.

Then... guys like Joe Lieberman (who's a Republican at heart) start advocating for it.

Then... the Conservative SCOTUS refuses to step in to stop the DC Marriage Equality law (tipping their hand that Olson is likely to win his case before them):

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVMw2ErRi3rOhnJTIyTvY-bC5dhAD9E6OR5O0



And you don't hear Republican politicians in Washington, most of them anyway, putting up much of a fight against Marriage Equality anymore like the did 10 or 15 years ago.


Something's afoot. I think the GOP power structure is starting to realize they can't win this fight in the end, so its best to make it go away.

The rank-and-file in the GOP are still adamantly against Marriage Equality.... and that's a strong hurdle to overcome.


But I think this conservative SCOTUS is going to deal a big blow to the homophobic bigots soon.

[leftstreet]

1. 'rank-and-file are still adamantly against Marriage Equality' ??

What are you basing this on?

[scheming daemons]

2. rank-and-file Republicans

The OP is about Republicans.


Read again.

[leftstreet]

7. LOL there aren't many left. If you mean religious righties, sure

I think you'll find rank and file Republicans are just as interested as rank and file Democrats about economic issues.

[WillParkinson]

3. I do not believe that the SCOTUS has tipped its hand...

I still think that they'll figure out a way to nix it. Perhaps they didn't step in here so that they could have the whole enchilada.

[scheming daemons]

6. I don't think so.... Ted Olson usually wins in front of them... unfortunately, most of the time

[Ozymanithrax]

4. They only way they win this is to amend the Constitution...

They know that. They also know that it will never happen.

[WillParkinson]

5. Amend the Constitution

In many states they did this and the turnout was greater than expected and the margins it won by was a lot more than figured.

I would not put anything past the Republicans.

[Ozymanithrax]

8. I was thinking along the lines of the U.S. Constitution...

It will continue to be fought over in the States. I live in California and have witnessed the fight first hand.

[Q3JR4]

12. They probably had the support to

amend the U.S. constitution ten years ago, and instead they pushed for and passed DOMA.

The other side shot their wad, and it seems that they're beginning to realize it.

Q3JR4.

[Ozymanithrax]

14. No, they've never had the support.

They need a 2/3rd vote in the House and the Senate, and it must be ratified by 2/3rds of the states. For a Defense of Marriage amendment, that would never happen.

Besides, they like using marriage as a get out the vote tactic. They hold that carrot out for religious conservatives who come out every time for it.

The time will come when the equalt marriage rights is the norm rather than the exception. If Democrats hold the White HOsue long enough, the Supreme Court will flip back to the left (it will never be a liberal court) and it will become legitimized in the same way that Brown Vs. the Board of Ecuation legitimized equal rights in schools (end everywhere) and Roe V. Wade gave women the right to determine their own fate.

[Orrex]

9. Now if only the Democrats would realize it and start fighting for marriage equality.

Really fighting for it.

[Bjorn Against]

10. We almost owe the religious right thanks

Before they started their campaign to "ban gay marriage" across the United States gay marriage was not legal anywhere, but when the religious right started their campaign it got people talking about the lack of marriage equality and now gay marriage is legal in five states and Washington DC. That number is almost certain to expand in the years ahead, and it is only a matter of time before it is legal across the nation.

If the religious right had not helped shed light on this inequality we likely would have never seen so much support for gay marriage, we should send them flowers to thank them for bringing this issue to the forefront and helping to increase support for gay marriage.

[tabatha]

11. So, now they're left with god and guns.

[Chipper Chat]

13. and sarah palin.

:evilgrin:

[customerserviceguy]

15. I've got a couple of problems with your examples

First, Ted Olson is crazy like a fox. I think he wants to get the issue in front of THIS Supreme Court, before any of the conservative five are gone. He picked a Federal Court that is most likely to rule in favor of equal marriage in a circuit that is most likely to affirm that ruling. Nothing will get this in front of the SCOTUS faster than the path he's taking.

Second, while Joementum pals with Republicons, and has always supported the US Middle East policy, especially when it comes to war, he's still a social liberal on everything else that I know. If he wasn't voting his religion instead of his country, he'd be a pretty well admired guy around here.

As for the SCOTUS not stepping in, well, if they did that, then they'd be saying that the people, through their representatives, do not have the right to make laws concerning marriage. That's the logic they'll apply when they rule that Californians DID have the right to make laws concerning marriage through the initiative process. If there were a Federal Constitutional right to equal marriage, then CA voters wouldn't have the right to do that, but in the absence of that, there's reason to think that they do.

I seem to remember a lot of Rethuglican railing against marriage equality during the last presidential administration, when Chimpy called for a Constitutional amendment against it. I also heard a lot about it during the 2004 election, when it was on the ballot in so very many states.

You have a lot more faith in the Court than I do.